A thief was caught out after one of his victims turned detective to track him down.

Alan Philip, 62, also known as Anthony Tye, travelled the country posing as a sporting official to steal players’ valuables from changing rooms.

The crook was caught out when he took a photo on an iPhone he had pinched from Hove Rugby Football Club visitors’ changing rooms.

He was sentenced to five years in prison for a string of burglaries after he was arrested in Brighton.

The club’s women were hosting Henley Hawks, who returned to the changing rooms after the match to find a bag full of about £10,000 worth of mobile phones, cash, purses and jewellery had gone.

They had handed a club official the bag to be kept safe behind the bar.

But it emerged the ‘club official’ was Philip posing in a Hove RFC coat and masqueraded as a member.

Hove chairman Adam Tunesi said: “Hove RFC are delighted that the changing room thief has been found guilty and will be unable to continue in his dastardly deeds.

“It was a great relief to all at the club to know that none of our members had been involved, and we thank the ingenuity of the women players who managed to locate the thief.”

Philip has a long history of committing almost identical crimes dating back as far as 1997.

This sentencing relates to 29 offences dating back to the summer of 2014.

He was sentenced in Lewes Crown Court last week after being arrested at a bed and breakfast in Brighton.

DC Anthony Swift, of Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said: “Alan Philip travelled the length and breadth of England using public transport and staying in guest houses.

“He meticulously researched local sports fixtures and teams, arriving before the games started to familiarise himself with the changing rooms and exits.

“During the matches, he would sometimes mingle with the crowd and speak to the players during halftime, convincing them he was working for the other team and collecting valuables for safe keeping.

“On other occasions, he would enter changing rooms and help himself to the contents of bags and lockers.

“This concludes a challenging investigation. Philip had no bank accounts, relatives or personal vehicle and was incredibly hard to trace. After committing his audacious crimes he would leave the area, making his way to the next town or city.”

BACKGROUND

In 1999, a then 47-year-old Philip, a former soldier, faced three charges of theft and asked for 239 other offences to be taken into consideration - most of them carried out at rugby, football and cricket grounds.

Over a two-year period up to 1999 he walked off with valuables worth a total of £40,000, including players' cash, watches and wallets.

Northampton Crown Court heard that Phillip's masquerade came to an end at the Harlequins rugby club in London.

He offered to hold players' valuables and Will Carling was among those who handed over his watch. But officials became suspicious and called the police.